Category: NPR

A new test could save arthritis patients time, money and pain. But will it be used?

Stories of chronic pain, drug-hopping, and insurance meddling are all too common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Precision medicine offers new hope.

A new normal? 6 stories about the evolving U.S. COVID response in 2023

This was the year a lot people finally exhaled. The pandemic was declared no longer an emergency. But viral threats are still with us and there are lessons we still haven’t learned.

Can family doctors deliver rural America from its maternal health crisis?

More than half of American counties don’t have an obstetrician. Family physicians, working in teams with proper support, could be the answer to the crisis in rural obstetric care.

Pod Corner: ‘Imminent Danger’

The new podcast Imminent Danger looks at the troubling medical career of one OB-GYN and what it tells us about how doctors are vetted in the United States.

The U.S. is unprepared for the growing threat of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses

Experts warn that new tropical viruses are headed for the U.S. – and the country should take active measures to fend them off.

5 things to know about the latest abortion case in Texas

The case involves just one abortion, but it’s likely to have wider implications in the state with some of the strictest abortion laws in the country.

Nurses and social workers increasingly hired by “solo agers”

Private care managers are often nurses or social workers, who help people navigate our fragmented health care system as they age. Increasingly, they are hired by “solo agers.”

These pros help keep ailing, aging loved ones safe — but it’s a costly service

Private care management, often nurses or social workers, is a growing field that helps people navigate the elder care system. People call it “a game changer” — but it comes at a high price.

Medicare open enrollment ends today. Ignoring the deadline could cost you

As the period for changing health plans ends, many seniors are tuning out. They could wind up with a surprise next year: higher costs and reduced access to health care providers.

Psychologists say they can’t meet the growing demand for mental health care

More than half say they’re not taking new patients, in a new survey. They report their existing patients need more attention for complex problems, and many keep months-long waitlists.